


Conversations In a Bar

by darkangel86



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex Manes Loves Michael Guerin, Boys In Love, Flirting, Getting Back Together, Good Guy Forrest Long, Idiots in Love, Implied Relationships, M/M, Michael Guerin Loves Alex Manes, Minor Forrest Long/Alex Manes, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24775678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkangel86/pseuds/darkangel86
Summary: “Do they even know how in love with each other they actually are?” A voice to his right asked and despite who he was, Gregory Manes startled. There had been no use in keeping up the pretense anymore, not with Jesse Manes finally gone. With his walls down, the anxiety he'd once suppressed had resurfaced. But that was for another day, Greg thought as he looked up in time to see Forrest Long slide into the other side of the booth he currently occupied.“I'm not even going to do you the injustice of acting like I don't know who you're talking about,” Greg said with a sigh. Of course he did. Everyone in Roswell did now. It wasn't a secret anymore.“I appreciate that,” Forrest chuckled, relaxing into the booth Greg had been sitting in, in the dimly lit Pony for God knows how long now.“What I'm wondering is, why is my brother's boyfriend asking me about it?” Greg pondered out loud, raising an eyebrow in question at the man across from him.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes, implied Gregory Manes/Forrest Long
Comments: 25
Kudos: 192





	Conversations In a Bar

**Author's Note:**

> So, its been a while since I've written, well, anything but now that s2 is over and we've met one Gregory Manes and I stan a King, I had the strongest urge to write him. This is what happened. There are no actual spoilers for s2 but just to be safe, let's say in case you haven't seen the finale, be warned.

“Do they even know how in love with each other they actually are?” A voice to his right asked and despite who he was, Gregory Manes startled. There had been no use in keeping up the pretense anymore, not with Jesse Manes finally gone. With his walls down, the anxiety he'd once suppressed had resurfaced. But that was for another day, Greg thought as he looked up in time to see Forrest Long slid into the other side of the booth he currently occupied.

“I'm not even going to do you the injustice of acting like I don't know who you're talking about,” Greg said with a sigh. Of course he did. Everyone in Roswell did now. It wasn't a secret anymore.

“I appreciate that,” Forrest chuckled, relaxing into the booth Greg had been sitting in, in the dimly lit Pony for God knows how long now.

“What I'm wondering is, why is my brother's boyfriend asking me about it?” Greg pondered out loud, raising an eyebrow in question at the man across from him.

“As much as I care about Alex, and I do, the boyfriend thing was never going to work out for us. I wish it could have but... you heard that song, same as I did. Hell, I was around while he was writing it. I knew it was never going to work out.” Forrest admitted easily, reaching across the table to grab the warming beer from in front of Gregory to take a sip.

“Then, what exactly have you been doing with my brother?” Greg asked, wincing slightly when he realized what he'd asked. “Please, no details.”

“We're friends, Manes. Who sometimes make out.” Forrest said with a smirk and Greg sighed.

“But Michael thinks-” Gregory started.

“Alien boy thinks what he thinks because he's too blind to see what's right in front of his face.” Forrest turned, pointing the neck of the beer bottle across the room and Greg followed, only then realizing that Alex was also there, seated at the bar, impossibly close to Michael. Both men so lost in each other, even from across the room, he could tell they had no idea anyone else in the room existed but the other.

“Alex came with me, took one look at Michael and I was an afterthought.” Forrest said, downing the rest of Greg's beer. “But he'll leave with me tonight and, I'm not the one he really wants. Those two? Why do they do this to each other? Any idiot can see how much they love each other. ” He sighed and Greg, took a minute before replying.

“Its always been like this with them, from what I've seen,” Greg started. “Alex was terrified when we were kids. I always knew there was someone but it wasn't until we were older and he'd enlisted and gotten hurt that I learned who it had been. I've been gone and out of his life for so long, I missed so much and I'll never forgive myself for that but Alex, he got so good at hiding how he felt over the years that to be able to show it? Especially to the person he loved? I don't think he ever thought he was going to be able to do that.”

“And Guerin?” Forrest asked, elbows propped on the table between them, listen intently.

“Michael, I think, doesn't think he deserves Alex.” Greg said and left it at that.

Gregory startled at the sudden thump, eyes wide as Forrest's head dropped to the table top.

“Alien boy is more dramatic than I thought,” Forrest murmured, voice slightly muffled from being pressed against the table. Gregory snorted. This guy had no idea.

“Why do you care so much? I mean, yeah, I get that you care about my brother but, if you're the one he's leaving with tonight, shouldn't you be happy about that?” Greg asked, curious. “Why does it matter so much about Michael?”

“Because I know true love when I see it.” Forrest replied, no hesitation. “Why would I want to stand in the middle of that?” He turned to look at the two men in question. “I'm not stupid or crazy to think Alex and I have anything long term happening here. Its been a fun couple of months, sure but he's so head of heels in love with Michael that I don't understand how Guerin hasn't swooped in and taken him back.”

“As much as I'm sure he's thought about doing just that, Michael would never,” Gregory said, smiling at the two men across the room. “He puts on the tough guy, macho bullshit bravado act but when it comes to Alex? He would never do anything to purposefully hurt him. As long as he thinks Alex is with you and happy, then he'll stay two steps back.”

Alex's laugh caught both of them surprise and they looked to see him, head thrown back, face caught in pure delight at whatever it was that Michael had said.

“Won't stop him from making Alex happy himself though,” Greg said, smiling softy. Seeing Alex so openly happy now, it clenched at his heart and sometimes made it a little hard to breathe. His brother deserved this so much.

“Alex deserves to be happy,” Forrest said and Greg knew he meant it. He liked this guy.

“Not to sound rude or anything but, why exactly did you come over here? I mean, was it just to lament about the fact that my brother is in love with another guy? Or to steal my beer or?” Greg asked, grinning when Forrest laughed.

“That a hint I owe you, Manes? I can get the next round, unless you're kicking me out?” Forrest dared, and Greg debated for a second before answering.

“I got nowhere to be. And, since you're just as lonely as I am tonight, why not?” Greg smirked when Forrest clutched at his chest.

“You're lucky you're cute, Manes. Real lucky.” Forrest teased as he stood, leaving to get their drinks.

Greg watched as Forrest, definitely on purpose, came to a stop behind Michael so that he was suddenly in Alex's line of sight. He watched as his brother, as if suddenly remembering that he'd come with someone other than Michael Guerin, startled and started to stand, only to have Forrest seemingly reassure him he was fine as he watched Alex settle back down. He wished he could hear when Forrest was saying to them, or maybe he didn't, as it had both Alex and Michael turning so hard in their seats Greg was sure someone's neck had cracked.

“You little asshole,” Greg mumbled, as he eyed the smirk Forrest was sporting as he made his way back across the room, beers in hand. “They're still looking. What the hell did you say to them?”

“I may have mentioned that Alex was going to have to find a new ride home because I was going home with another Manes man tonight,” Forrest said so smoothly he was almost sure he'd misheard.

“For God's sake,” Greg groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You are a little shit, aren't you?”

“You have no idea,” Forrest laughed, taking a long drink of the cold beer. 

Across the bar, Alex was frozen, eyes narrowed as he stared at his brother and Forrest.

“I, uh. I'm not sure what just happened?” Michael finally spoke and Alex, blinked, turning to look at him. “I mean, they're not... are they?” He turned wide eyes on Alex.

“No.” Alex said easily. “Greg is straight. I think.” He huffed. “Forrest is just an asshole.” Shaking his head, Alex turned back around to focus on Michael, who was now glaring daggers across the room at the smaller blue haired man. Alex reached out and smacked him lightly on the arm.

“Ow, what the heck, Alex?” Michael winced slightly, concentration broken.

“One, that did not hurt you and two, I didn't mean he's an asshole in a bad sense. He's just an asshole as in, he's a little shit that thinks he's clever.” Alex shook his head, smiling down at his hands, now resting on top of the bar.

“I don't understand what any of that means,” Michael admitted, the confused look on his face far more adorable than it had any right to be.

“It means,” Alex started, taking a deep breath, before he continued. “That I'm going to need a ride home tonight and, I'd really like it if you were the one that took me home, Michael.” He finished with a smile, rewarded by a hitch in Michael's breathing.

“Absolutely!” Michael said in a rush, standing so quick the stool he'd been sitting on almost toppled over. “Uh, I mean, yeah, sure. I can do that.” The blush on his cheeks could go straight to hell, he thought as he slowly sat himself back down.

“And maybe, if you don't have to rush off in a hurry, I could finally play you the rest of my song?” Alex asked, timidly. He'd wanted Michael to hear the ending of it for months now. “If, I mean, that's something you'd want.”

“Yes, Alex,” Michael exhaled harshly, voice slightly wavering. The song. For months those lyrics had rattled around in his head, incomplete. He'd been too afraid to ask Alex to hear the words again. But now? He'd give anything to hear them again.

“I'm ready when you are,” Alex said and somehow, his words felt like they held a much deeper meaning to them.

“I'm, I'm ready.” Michael said and, standing, held his hand out to Alex.

Across the bar, Greg released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as he watched Alex's hand slip into Michael's.

“Finally,” Forrest muttered and Greg snorted.

“You've been around five minutes. Some of us have been waiting on that since they were seventeen.” Greg said as he shook his head, smiling as he watched his brother leave the bar, Michael's hand held tightly in his own.

“What can I say? I'm a sucker for a happy ending.” Forrest smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

“Na, this isn't an ending,” Forrest said, smiling brightly. “Its finally their beginning.”

“That... is the most romantic thing I have ever heard, oh my god.” Forrest sniffed and Greg turned to glare at him. “No, seriously. You're adorable.”

“You're walking home tonight,” Greg said, too late realizing his mistake.

“I mean, technically I drove myself but, you making plans, Manes?” Forrest asked, smirking at him from across the table.

“Guess you'll just have to wait and see.” Greg answered, his own smirk firmly in place as he took a sip of his warming beer. Coming home to Roswell had turned out to be far more interesting then he ever could have anticipated. But. He wasn't complaining. 

“I think I'm gonna like you, Gregory,” Forrest said, smiling for the first time at him and Greg held his breath. There was no fear of Jesse Manes looming over his shoulder, no voice in the back of his head warning him that he knew better. He could feel his anxiety trying to creep in but he swallowed down past the feeling and shook his head slowly before looking up into the soft eyes of the other man.

“I think I'm gonna like you too, Forrest,” Gregory said, smiling, feeling lighter for the first time than he had in years.

**Author's Note:**

> Do not ask me where the implied Greg/Forrest came from because I honestly do NOT know. Forrest just started flirting with Greg and wouldn't stop. Which, to be fair, I can't blame him for.


End file.
